Training is any systematic process used by organizations to develop employees' knowledge, skills, behaviours, or attitudes in order to contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. It is also referred to as human resource development. Training is used to improve the performance of employees in their present positions; to prepare workers for positions to which they are likely to be promoted in the future; and to respond to changes in the workplace, such as new technology and systems, internationalization, global competitiveness and the need for greater service orientation. In addition, training is provided by governments and organizations to improve the future employability of the hard-core unemployed, under-employed minority groups and workers whose present skills are becoming obsolete. Training is directed toward employees at all levels of the organization, from workers on the shop floor through to executives, and covers applications from specific technical skills to complex social and cognitive skills.

Most organizations dedicate substantial resources to training and see it as an integral function of achieving their goals. In the USA alone training expenditures have been estimated to be as high as $100 billion per year and training professionals have estimated that organizations' commitment to training is likely to grow.

Despite its pervasiveness in industry, however, training must be viewed as only one of several human resource interventions used to improve the match between the knowledge, skills, behaviours or attitudes possessed by employees and those required in particular jobs. Alternatives to training include changing the way in which personnel are selected; changing job requirements through job redesign or technological change; and changing the way in which performance is managed (for example, introducing goal setting, feedback or reward systems). All of these alternatives can be used in place of, or in conjunction with, training initiatives.

The development of training programmes involves three phases: (1) training needs analysis; (2) training design and delivery; and (3) training evaluation. In the first phase, specific training needs which address organizational objectives are identified. Within the training design and delivery phase, training objectives are set, specific training content is identified and principles that will maximize learning and transfer of skills are applied. In training evaluation, criteria are established and a method of evaluation is developed: (1) to ensure that training has met its objectives; and (2) to make necessary changes to improve the programme's effectiveness.

Paul Taylor